Which are the 10 least aerodynamic cars ever made? Do Fiat Multipla, the AMC Pacer or Pontiac Aztec belong on the list? Although those are some weird looking cars the answer is no, this is not the ugliest car competition.
We are here to talk about the aerodynamics. So, what is the aerodynamic of a car and how it is measured? The aerodynamic of a car is expressed by so-called drag coefficient value, or Cd in short. The drag force of a moving car is parallel with the airflow, so the drag coefficient of a car is observed and measured in the wind tunnel. Drag coefficient describes how smoothly car passes the air during the drive, and it grows as the speed increases. So, the lower the Cd value is, the more aerodynamic a car is. Although the more precise expression of aerodynamics is obtained by taking in count also the frontal area of a car, which gives the total drag index, Cd is commonly solely used for ranking the aerodynamics of a car.
Decreasing cars’ Cd value entails among other good things the lesser fuel consumption and better stability during the drive. Therefore engineers and designers try to reduce the drag coefficient as much as possible if their goal is gaining the streamlining. Some of the characteristics of an aerodynamic car design are: avoiding the sharp edges, round and slanted frontal area, also minimized sticking out of certain elements such as lights and wheel arcs. First, that comes to mind are robust, sharp-edged vehicles. Well, on the one hand, that is true, and some of them can also be found on the 10 Best Selling Luxury Car Brands in the US.
So, for the factual values for drag coefficient we searched the Ecommoder, and for the average drag mode by the manufacturer, we’ve got the information from Honestjg blog.
If we have missed out some of the least aerodynamic cars comparing to their performances that is because we were strictly led by the consistent values we have obtained from above-mentioned sources. Also, we are not here to talk about necessarily bad cars, but about bad aerodynamics, which was sometimes sacrificed for other preferences. Let’s see the list of least aerodynamic cars ever made.
10. Volkswagen beetle
Cd value: 0.48
Since the 30s Beetle remains one of the most famous cars, and also one of the best-selling. Beetle models of mentioned Cd value were produced in the period from 1959-1979. Due to its air cooled engine, and light weight, economic reasons and good advertisement these cars became very popular throughout the world.
9. Ford Ranger
Cd value: 0.49
Ford Ranger with Cd of 0.49 is the 2001 model and belongs to the second generation of Ranger series. Models from this era got longer wheelbase and truck at the expense of aerodynamics. However, it is a light affordable pickup truck with the strong engine, but very bad fuel economy.
8. Citroën 2CV
Cd value: 0.51
This car had been manufactured from 1948 to 1990 and been classified as a classic. It has retained the old fashioned looks until the end. It was planned to be relatively cheap to produce and economical to sustain, with the average fuel consumption of 5l/100km and the top speed of 50km/h. The familiar looks of this car immediately do not reflect good aerodynamics, but anyway, over nine million 2CVs were sold during the tome of its production.
7. Volkswagen Westfalia Camper
Cd value: 0.51
This car was produced from the 50s to 2003, and the model we are referring to here as one of the least aerodynamic cars comes from a series made from 1980 to 1991. This vehicle is made for camping purposes, with seats that can change into beds and full kitchen and pop-top camper roof. Perhaps not the nicest looking aerodynamic vehicle, but functional, so it is somewhat being sought even today.
6. Nissan Patrol GR and the Ford Maverick
Cd value: 0.52
These vehicles belong to the fourth generation of the Nissan patrol series produced from 1987-1998. As for the GR, it was a left-handed model, and Ford Maverick was an Australian version of the Nissan Patrol of this generation. A great off-road vehicle, very good at smoothing impacts of the roughest terrains.
5. Dodge Ram 1500
Cd value: 0.52
Dodges of 0.52 Dc value belong to the third generation of these vehicles produced from 2002 to 2008. These vehicles are light weight trucks.
4. Mercedes Benz G class
Cd value: 0.54
This vehicle number four on our list of least aerodynamic cars ever made is one of the longest produced by Mercedes Benz, being introduced in 1979. Primarily made as mid-size SUV vehicle with great performances, during the time it upgraded looks, creating comfortable interior and modern engines that enable fast movement through the muddy and rough terrain. Being highly ranked in this vehicle class, this car is also very expensive, and adding to that, a real fuel devourer.
3. Hummer H2
Cd value: 0.57
Hummer H2 has been produced from 2003 to 2009. It is a large heavy SUV vehicle, more suitable for the off-road adventures (where it has shown as a decent vehicle) than for any other use, and therefore has many bad reviews. That is one of the reasons why there was only one Hummer H2 generation produced. Some “flaws” of this car are: huge fuel consumption, poor quality interior (having in mind the price of the vehicle), the wideness of the vehicle, tight cargo space compared to the size, etc. And in the end, bad aerodynamic shape, but being huge military like, slow off-road vehicle, that wasn’t designers’ primary concern.
2. Jeep Wrangler
Cd value: 0.58-0.55
Jeep Wrangler, the number one on the list of least aerodynamic cars ever made has been on stage since the 80s. It is yet another great mid-size off-road vehicle with great specifications, except for the feature we are interested in this article, the aerodynamics. Although the familiar Wrangler look hasn’t changed much during the time, many improvements were made, though the reviews still recommend them for the off-road use mainly.
1. Lotus seven
Cd value: 0.65-0.75
Interestingly, the number one on the list of least aerodynamic cars ever made is a sports car. Lotus seven is an elegant, light weight, open-top two seat car, manufactured from 1957 to 1972. Due to its light weight, it gains speed acceleration in a split of a second, but tend to understeer at high speeds, which is the result of the car’s aerodynamics.
